Slavery was an essential element of the society of Ancient Greece. Social life, in numerous ways -- family, commerce, politics, was heavily dependent on a class of people who fulfilled tasks their masters saw as degrading. Although, the concept of slavery represented a fundamental aspect of the practical construction of democracy, it is not the only factor that has lead to the development of this complex political institution which is currently the basis of modern constitutional systems. Other issues that need to be considered are the developments in philosophy, the urbanization of Greece and the extremely large interest that the population manifested towards politics. (After all, the Greeks were as interested in philosophy and politics as much as the Romans were interested in law). Each of this factors was essentially predetermined by slavery, which as a firm establishment, made possible the development of all political systems in ancient Greece, and of democracy in particular.
The Greeks were divided into classes, which formed an elaborate but in the same time clear structure, which included all types of people -- from wealthy, influential aristocracy (aristoi = the best) to a lowly, powerless population of slaves. It is ironic that the class of the slaves might be considered as important as the aristocracy, as it was an integral part of Greek society, since the right to own another person was rarely questioned in Greece. After all, slavery in a more primitive form originated in Mesopotamia, reached its classical manifestation in ancient Greece and Rome, continued to exist, under all sorts of forms in the Middle Ages and was extinguished, officially at least, during the 19th and 20th centuries.
In Ancient Greece, a man of distinction should not have performed the tasks that were "fit" for slaves and foreigners (Foreigners constituted the main source of slaves. Wars were often fought to renew the slave population. Warriors who managed to survive and all the civilian population, if any had left, was converted into slaves. Even more, Romans were famous for turning into slaves foreign visitors of Rome, simply because they were not Romans).
Aristotle, who might be considered, if not the greatest, than...
Slavery in the Caribbean: Effects on Culture, Race and Labour Origins of slavery The Caribbean slavery began in the 16th and 17th century during the emergence of piracy. The basis for the modern Caribbean dates back to the slave trade and slavery. During the 16th century, outsiders settled in the Caribbean. This was a period characterised the European powers struggling for trade supremacy and the utilization of newly found resources. During the
" American Theatre, February 2004, 67. Phillips, Ulrich Bonnell. American Negro Slavery: A Survey of the Supply, Employment and Control of Negro Labor as Determined by the Plantation Regime. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1959. Thomas, Helen. Romanticism and Slave Narratives: Transatlantic Testimonies. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Yancy, George. "Historical Varieties of African-American Labor: Sites of Agency and Resistance." The Western Journal of Black Studies 28, no. 2 (2004): 337. Ron Eyerman, Cultural
Finally, the two works have different purposes, so it is difficult to rate them to the same standards. McPherson has more on his mind than the institution of slavery; he is discussing an entire war and its aftermath, while Elkins is solely concerned with slavery in America and why it occurred. While the authors do share many similar views, many simply do not apply to each other. In conclusion, both of
Aristotle: The Relationship Between Slavery and Political Government and Constitution Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher as well as a scientist and social thinker. He is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the ancient world and his views on political theory still have influence today. Central to all his philosophical thinking is the idea of reason and rationality. Aristotle's view that reason was the primary and most important aspect
The problem with European slaves was mainly that they had recourse to legal action for the protection of their rights and redressing their grievances. Like the Native Americans, European slaves were also unfamiliar with the soils and cash crops of the New World. Furthermore, they tended to use their status as slaves only as a vehicle for traveling to the United States, after which they would claim their freedom
These newspapers continuously wrote that there is no essential conflict between labor class (referring to wage earners) and the capitalists and that each should not suspect the other in the development of America. Southern slave society: An essential conflict with free labor social order There were many distinctions in the Northern and Southern economic and social outlook of America. There were conflicting ideologies being pursued in these regions and the economic
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